11/23/11 - Graduation Day - WooHoo!

Well, it was as an eventful day.  So the whole family got up early with me and off to the hospital for the last time for a few weeks.  First off the bat, we had scheduled a second meeting with the thoracic surgeon at the Univ. Maryland to discuss our second opinion at Johns Hopkins.  The surgery option has been a large cloud just hanging over us for the last month knowing that this was going to be the biggest decision we were going to have to make.  Since Saturday and our meeting with Hopkins, Megs and I had really felt like we were in a fog about the second opinion, surgical options and what was going to be best.  And as I indicated in the last bolg, we were praying and asking for extreme clarity.  So as Megs and I walked out of the meeting, there was no doubt that God had provided us the very clear answers we were looking for and the Holy Spirit continues to blanket us with a peace about the decisions we are making. 

So without boring you with a bunch of details on the specifics of the surgery, I will say that our surgeon at UM was more than a little surprised that Johns Hopkins presented the option for doing surgery laproscopically.  He stepped through with us why that would not be a good option and clearly articulated what would give me the best chance for success post operation.  Not only did he provide reasons for not doing the surgery laproscopically, but backed that with research and examples that clearly explained and described what they would do to provide me the best chance to beat this cancer.  This matched with all the research I have conducted on my own and clearly showed to us, there is more to this than just a little quicker healing associated with doing it laproscopically.  On top of all that, we again were reconfirmed that UM provides a lot of the untangibiles.  Everything from the surgeon postponing his holiday travel plans to accommodate and meet with us, to the way we have felt like they are treating me like they would be treating their own family member. 

So now, the waiting game...We'll have to wait till the week before Christmas (12/19 to 12/23) to get the PET and scope done to restage the cancer and determine our next steps.  So after those test results come back, our options based on results will be 1) There was no cancer detected in the esoph. or lymph nodes and we will have the choice to do or not do surgery 2) There was metastatic activity, but has not spread beyond the initial staging. and surgery will still be an option, with post chemo 3) There was distant metastatic activity identified, surgery will not be an option. and chemo would be the proposed plan of action.  So we will continue to pray for complete healing and see what God has planned for us as we near Christmas.

Next on the slot for the day, Graduation.  So after another 25 days and over 2500 miles, my short term relationship with the radiation machine has come to a end.  I thought it felt surreal during the last cancer to be finished, but it was so much sweeter this time around.  So I grabbed a few pics to share what this included on a daily basis.

One of the machines that revolved around me 360 degrees to provide treatment

The machine as it gets ready to begin.  The top section, which is now the 3 o'clock position shows the treatment aperture.  In all, my treatment was done at 6 different angles to focus the most radiation on the esophagus and lymph nodes while decreasing as much collateral damage as possible.  I had one of the best Dr and radiation teams in the country to make this happen. What a phenomenal group of individuals!

So part of the UM's tradition on the patient's last day of radiation treatment, is to ring the honorary bell to celebrate the end of treatment and give hope to others that are still going through it (you'll see the plaque at the end of the video and where the bell normally hangs).  The funny thing is, the bell had just broke at the end of last week and they hadn't gotten it fixed.... So we had do a little compromising and came prepared with our own replacement bell that had just been unpacked this week as we decorated for Christmas.  We also made sure we built up the anticipation for Taylor, and she ham'd it up!  Enjoy the video and make sure your volume is turned up to hear the bell ringing.

Here are some additional pics as Taylor rang the bell for Daddy.

Again, feels great to be done with this phase and head into the locker room and prepare for the second half.  I definitely have a lot to be thankful for this year as we celebrate Thanksgiving!

Trust In Him
God Bless!
Jason

11/22/11 - Almost Halftime - Time to Regroup and Refocus

Well, sorry I haven't posted in a couple of weeks.  I have been in a partial fog and for the most part trying to conserve energy during the day.  I have felt good enough to drive my self into my early morning radiation, but then have to come home and take a couple naps some days.  When I am awake, I'm doing research on surgical options.  Man these last two weeks have really flown by.  It's almost hard to imagine that this Wednesday is my last radiation treatment, hopefully this time forever.  By God's grace I continue to do better than most going through the same treatment, though I am half their age, the Dr's keep telling me to keep doing whatever I am doing as it seems to be working.  I have been spared major esophagitis problems, however the irritation is starting to increase daily and other side effects continue to pop up and build on top of each other.  Still understanding that the peak dose of radiation will hit tomorrow and will continue to work, we'll see what happens over the next few weeks.  I continue to feel blessed and thank God for allowing me to suffer well thus far.

So the next major decision that looms in our decision making process that we will need a lot of clarity on, via prayer and guidance from God and any personal experience from you all, is the decision of what surgeon and surgical option we will go with IF we get good results back from the PET scan in a few weeks.  So we met with the Chief of Thoracic Surgery at Johns Hopkins on Saturday, who has come highly recommended to us.  Just like the last cancer, we felt really competent in our first opinion, but with so many fine institutions at arms reach, we also felt that it was our due diligence to get a second opinion.  So this time around, things aren't as cut and dry in the decision making, and we have been presented with the option to have the esophagectomy done laproscopically.  Based on their recommendation, they only select certain patients to undergo this procedure and I fit their profile, younger and healthier than most.  This is a relatively newer procedure being done for esophagectomies and not a main procedure at Hopkins.  The positives are obviously a quicker recovery time with shorter hospital stay and overall recovery, smaller incisions to heal and as they presented a some what noticeably better success/survival rate.  The down sides are they have only done a "handful" of these procedures, as they still do mostly traditional esophagectomies.  The other question is does it really increase survival or are the stats skewed based on their selection process.  This is a huge prayer request that we really need some quick and clear guidance on as we need to make a decision sooner vs later to get the post staging PET scan and surgery scheduled in.  We are going to meet again w/ the thoracic surgeon at University of Maryland tomorrow to get their counter opinion to what we have heard from Hopkins.  So we'll add this to our prayer requests and also ask if you by chance know of any one who has had a laproscopic esophagectomy to please let us know.  In addition, there is a Dr. at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center who has done probably the most of these, so if any of our Ohio connections know of someone who had a esophagectomy done at UPMC, we would be especially interested.


I know I provided  a lot of information on nutritional choices in my last post and really wanted to follow up with some of what we found in our research and have begun to apply.  In our research, we've found diets to be all over the board in promoting disease free health.  We became overwhelmed trying to determine what is God's purpose for us with food.  If this has triggered something in you or your family to reconsider nutrition, I fully suggest you do your own research so you can come to your own conclusions on what best for you, as I am no expert.  But here is where have we landed as a family.  First to start by eating healthier.  We have removed all processed foods from our cabinets, trying to shop just the perimeter of the grocery or shop your local farmers market (fresh and then frozen if needed, as well locally grown, sustainable and organic fruits and veggies when available).  Then we have swapped our portion sizes and meal focus from protein to those of vegetables (we don't need as much protein as we intake).  Finally, we have removed all sugar from our diet (only using natural sweetners like agave, great glycemic value as well, so it won't spike your blood sugar like other sweetners or sugars).  The sugar removal has more to do with the cancer fighting, though a lot can be said for removing as much refined sugars from our diet and only using natural unrefined sugars when needed, for everything from weight control, to diabetes, to disease prevention.  I know for Megan, this simple change has really removed her desire for more sweets and I know with how energetic Taylor is, it can't hurt :).  The last thing we are really trying to remove, is salt and things that are known to cause inflammation, as disease tends thrive in this type of environment and for me this is as important in fighting now as to preventing recurrence later.  It has really amazed us though this whole process how much by just making some of these simple changes, we really do feel better and I know I don't have any gastric problems as I had before (definitely won't go any further on that).  So without boring you any further, if you want to chat food and other things that I have come across, don't hesitate to hit me up and I can provide some more context and point you in the direction of additional resources.  As I referred to 1 Corinthians 6:13-20 in my previous post, our dear friend Melinda who Megan blogged about quickly and wisely points out that in 1 Cor 6:12 (NIV) "Everything is permissible for me"--but not everything is beneficial."  I think that is sage advice to live by, especially when we look at what we eat daily.

Here's what a purge from our cabinets looked like.  And this is only about half of what we got rid of!

More to follow shortly to share with you how my last day of treatment goes, as well as additional information that I find out on the surgery end of things.

Trust in Him!
God Bless,
Jason

11/14/11 - Attending a Marathon... In So Many Ways

Hi Everyone - I don't know about you all, but I've really enjoyed having Jas blog the last couple of times to hear more of what's on his heart!  Love it!  That's what we love about this blog, you get to hear what is on both of our hearts, which will hopefully reach out and touch a wide variety of people who are undergoing trials of various natures.  

As we sit here today on chemo treatment #5 of #6 total (PRAISE GOD we only have one more Chemo Day!), I have the rare opportunity to spend time doing things that typically are so hard to do with a little one around.  So, I wanted to bring you up to speed on a couple events that we haven't had the chance to post on yet.  Know that Jas will more than likely be getting a post up within the next couple days also, since he rarely sleeps on Monday nights - due to the steroids they give him.  So stay tuned for an update on how he is doing and this past week.

Melinda's Shirt

On Sunday, October 30th, Melinda, our dear Sister in Christ, ran the Marine Corps Marathon in DC.  Bless her heart!  It was the first marathon she has ever ran, and she was doing it in honor and support of Jason, Kat & Terri (also dear sisters in Christ), Jason's Dad - Ernie, and many other loved ones affected by cancer.  She ran under the Lazarex Cancer Foundation and wore a blue shirt that listed the names of the people she was running for along with scripture that we have all been relying so heavily on:  Philippians 4:13 - I can do ALL things through CHRIST who gives me strength.

Kat (left), Melinda (middle), Meg (right)

So, Kat (stage 4 lung cancer who you've also been praying for) and I went into DC for the day to cheer on Melinda and join her family as she crossed the finish line!  What a fun and emotional day it was for us!  We were laughing thinking about how crazy it would have been if both of our families would have come.  We were glad we opted to make it a Girl's Day.  Kat has 3 little kiddos - ages 5, almost 4, and 2.  And our Taylor (2.5 yrs), Miss Independent, need I say more?  In a crowd of approx 100,000 spectators and 30,000 runners, a stroller just didn't sound like fun to maneuver around!  
 


To the left you will see Melinda crossing the 26 mile marker of the 26.2 mile race waving to us with a smile on her face.  I'm sure glad she found us in the crowd or we would have missed her with all the commotion!  What a trooper!  After the race, she showed us the scriptures that she had written on her legs to help her get her to the finish line. 

 
A little history here for those who may not be aware.  Initially, when Kat first headed to the Cancer Institute, she wrote Philippians 4:13 on her tumor that was giving her problems on her femur.  At this time she did not yet know she had cancer.  Since then, Jas continued the trend with writing Phil 4:13 on his tumor (Sarcoma) on his leg.  Then, he found his own verse he wanted to claim through his cancer trials - Romans 8:28.  Doctors, along with many others in the offices, have asked Jas about what he wrote and what that actual scripture was.  So it has been an awesome way to witness to the Doctor teams, through both cancers this year!  I love how Melinda then took this idea and applied it to something else other than cancer.  She's been such an awesome example to us and many others of how to glorify God and witness to others when times are good!


All in all, it was a great day for Kat and I!  It was such a special day and we appreciated Melinda's sacrifice and her willingness to run this race for those near and dear to her heart with cancer.  It was amazing the conversations that we were able to have with others in DC about God, cancer, nutrition, etc. without us even initiating them.  When we were on the metro headed home, another young woman commented on our bracelets we were both wearing that have Phil 4:13 written out on them.  (Thanks Jill Kinn - We Love Them!)  Kat took hers off and gave the bracelet to her.  It made this lady's day and she was just glowing as she said it was one of her favorite verses and had never seen one like it.  Then there was another couple that rode with us on the bus to get to the metro.  They had experienced cancer in their family, were going through similar steps nutritionally, etc.  In both cases we were able to share our stories and how God was blessing both our families through this particular storm. Amazing and it brought us such great joy!

As for the Women's Retreat at our church, I sure do appreciate your prayers for all the women involved in the panel discussion that I was part of.  More to follow on that soon!  Unfortunately, the video camera stopped recording as soon as our time on stage started, so I don't have that video to share with you all.  However, I plan to edit my notes that I used into a blog post so you can read my testimony and possibly see the introduction video that they used for our part of the day.  Stay tuned!

Well, today is going amazingly well so far!  Things are looking good and we are tracking to be home much, much sooner than last week!  Can I get a BIG PRAISE GOD?   He is so good!

We did also want to mention how grateful we are to those who are participating in the prayer/fasting chain.  We had no idea this was already in action but when we learned of it, it brought tears to our eyes to learn of the sacrifice that so many were willing to make for Jason and our family during the last 1.5 weeks of treatment!  We continue to be BLOWN AWAY with your love!

Thanks so much for your continued prayers!

Much Love & God Bless!

Meg

11/8/11 - Nutrition = Energy... Seems to be helping

Well my new normal for Monday nights have become waking up wired at 1 AM.  If anyone has gone through chemo infusions or known someone who has, they give me a dose of steroids (and it's half the amount I got in the beginning) to counteract any side effects of the lovely hazardous materials they pump in me. So I feel like I should be busting down the weight room door and pumping some iron...hey I am legal so might as well benefit right?  Since I have given up weight lifting till treatment is over, you get a blog, because the next option is cleaning the house and the Holy Spirit just isn't moving in that direction. :)

So yesterday was the 4th round of chemo, with just two more to go.  I ended last week really feeling good. God continues to give me the daily strength to fight this and fend off they side effects, thus far. After radiation treatment last Thursday, I went and picked up my mom at the airport to have some extra hands around the house for the next couple weeks. What a blessing it has been, to have help with Taylor, cooking/cleaning, and just spending some catch up time with her.  It was great yesterday, as chemo/radiation took much longer than anticipated.  We had a 16 hr day by the time it was all said and done, but to know Taylor was just chillin' with her Gigi, really brought a peace as we sat and were "patient" at the hospital waiting to get everything done. Don't get me wrong, we have been totally blessed with all our friends and neighbors helping out watch her on the long days, but Megs and I joked yesterday that our traveling gypsy seemed to like knowing she could sleep in her own bed and manipulate Gigi into getting anything she wanted.  She continuously kept hugging and kissing Gigi over and over again, knowing that things were going to change for her.  God has definitely given us a little trooper and Taylor has really been great through this given she's 2.5 yrs old.  We are all adjusting with daddy being home all day.  Meg and I joke that it's the first time in our almost 10 years of marriage that we've spent this much time together, but it's been good!

I really had a good week last week, and by God's continued grace, I got out and ran a couple times on the nice days. Though I am not breaking my personal bests, it feels great to have the energy still and know I have the strength to keep fighting it with all the tools put before me. Even though my "counts" have steadily declined during chemo, I am still at a healthy enough level to allow for further treatment and to fight off infections. We expected the counts to drop because that is what the chemo is doing, effecting every cell good and bad. However we continue to pray that my body can regenerate the good cells faster than the chemo destroys and the counts stay up so I can finish off the treatments like a champ.  I have also started to notice a little irritation when I swallow, but nothing that has kept me from still eating.  At this point it just means I have to chew well and take smaller bites. They predict this to happen, as it's one of the major side effects of radiation on the esophagus.  As the radiation continues to build in dosage, my esophagus continues to be "sunburnt" daily. So we just have to take it day by day and ask for God's quick healing and protection.

Speaking of food, I know many of you have inquired about our dietary change, which is one therapy we feel God has clearly laid on hearts through this.  It started subtly, with the first cancer and our good friends at church who are battling cancer. The Holy Spirit was tapping us gently on the shoulder through them and their nutritional changes, but like any human and our desire control our own decision making, I never fully turned it over to God during that first round of cancer. Interestingly, during the first round of cancer, Meg was also tapped gently by the Holy Spirit regarding food.  She was led to fast all sweets for the month we waited to find out whether or not the tumor in my leg was cancerous.  Interesting how that was God's warm up period for her, knowing that we are avoiding all sugars now.  Though I personally felt like food was never an idol in my life, I did tend to "live to eat" vs. "eat to live."  At one point during the first round of cancer, we went and spoke to a hospital nutritionist and she gave the standard clinical answer.  Do what you can to keep your weight on, but there isn't anything you need to refrain from, either during treatment or for recurrence afterward.  I thought that was great, hey I can continue on like I was eating, no changes needed, and I am still in control.

Then after the the second diagnosis, God's gentle taps turned into smacks over the head.  It started when we went on vacation before treatment for round 2 of cancer.  I struck up conversation on the beach with a local, who was a little more "granola" than I was four weeks ago and talked a lot about diet.  I chuckle now, as some of you know how anti "granola" I was in the past, as I loved my meats and home-style cooking.  The thought of twigs and berries as a sustainable diet made me look down on those who embraced a healthier eating lifestyle.  I love how God allows us to eat crow more often than we like.

So the major smack over the head came when we hooked up with an esophageal cancer (EC) survivor, who was my age and lives just 20 minutes from us, the day before we were starting treatment. Not only did God use him to speak to us about nutrition, he also was treated by the same oncology team at Univ of MD.  We had started doing some research while on vacation and as the Internet goes, there can be as much disinformation as information out there.  We really struggled to understand what God's desire was for us nutritionally.  All it takes is a quick minute of surfing the net to see all these individuals whose diet act as their "functional god."  They worship their food plans and allow it to consume them.  So once we met with this other Christian family who had just been through EC earlier this year, and they had made the same dietary changes we were leaning towards based on their own independent research, we walked out to the car and Megs and I looked at each other and were in shock at what had just happened.  God had clearly answered our prayers so clearly that we almost couldn't believe what took place. Additionally, God renewed our hope after spending the evening with this couple, showing us that not all Esophageal Cancers have a devastating ending.  This man was diagnosed with Stage 4 EC just this past January and by April he was cancer free. Go God!  What a miracle!  He just had a follow up scan and there was no metastatic activity = no cancer.  Also, this man gave me something really special during our first meeting.  It was so neat bc just earlier that day we had listened to our Pastor's sermon about the life of David.  Then this man hands me "The David Stone" and when you turn it over it says "No problem is too big for God to handle."  He shared that he kept this stone with him every single day of treatment as a constant reminder that God is bigger than cancer.  I am honored that he passed this stone on to me!  God was so intentional with connecting our families and we are so appreciative that he did!

There have been several others that we have spoke with, that once we turned the topic of "eating" over to God, he has put in path to let us see that food was an idol in our life an it had a much stronger grip than we ever thought.  So it gets crazier...one of our neighbors then hooked us up with another EC survivor, again someone in Frederick who was 26 when he was diagnosed. Come to find out, we kept hearing from the oncology team during our initial consultation about this 26yr miracle. Well, he is alive and well (now 31) and was treated by they same oncology team, and additionally he's gone through esophagectomy (surgery I'm considering).  Thank you God!   We have spoke and what another great resource to have so close.  Come to find out, diet has also been a big change for him!  Again, renewed hope as I meet and hear of more survivors!

Additionally, another Christian neighbor who we had no idea about her diet, is following the same protocol we are and has been for the last 20+ yrs.  She has been such a blessing, from making some great meals to really guiding us through the cooking part and showing how this can be easy and not have it consume you.   And I must also send a very BIG thanks out to those who are lovingly pulling together 5 weeks of "Alkaline" meals for us.  Now that's love, to be willing to cook a specific way for us to get us to the finish line of treatment!

The icing on the cake was to have an individual on the medical side who approached us about some research that had been done apart from what medical school had taught her.  God totally laid us on her heart to reach out to us, as she didn't even know that we were struggling with deciphering how to eat go forward.  Her first conversation with us about this was the day after we met with the couple that handed over The David Stone.  WOW!  We are so appreciative of the research she shared with us, hearing of her own testimony of how she came to know Christ and to learn that even Doctors struggle with understanding exactly how God calls us to honor Him by what we put into our bodies (temples).  She now is a reader of our blog and continues to send us encouraging emails, which we appreciate so much!
 
It really has neat to see how God has answered our prayer requests so clearly and has confirmed his desire for us through this. Let me be clear though, I in no way feel diet up to this point caused either one of my cancers, but I do truly believe that God is using my situation to speak to others about certain idols we have in our life. Will a nutrition change cure my cancer, no, but it is one of the tools God is using in my testimony to glorify Him. Just like anything else we are doing to rid my body of the cancer cells and keep them away until it's my time. Understanding all our days are numbered, and it's God's timing when He takes me home to be with Him. I stand firm in believing that He has much more planned for me in the here and now.

Meg and I have really been in prayer over and trying to decipher what food and diet mean to us and how do we glorify God through it. We have really been praying over 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 "Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body." Understanding that the Apostle Paul wrote this in context of sexual immorality, he draws the parallel earlier in 1 Cor 6:13 with food. Knowing the quickest way to a man's heart is through food and sex, Paul contrasts the two to emphasize how God values the human body. So we feel that God is speaking to us about what we are doing to or putting in our bodies. Hope this helps others that are struggling through similar circumstances.

Well, not sure now if I should have cleaned the house. I gotta get up in less than an hour for my daily dose of radiation. Ww

Trust in Him
God Bless!
Jason

11/2/11 - Half Way Mark of Treatment

WOW, once again I am going to start this post with a big THANK YOU!!!!!  Thank You to all those identified and anonymous, for all the encouragement and support!  We are absolutely blown away with how you have been so generous in so many ways!  God continues to amaze us daily through each and every one of you and His timing has been more than we can even comprehend - perfect!  God has made it very clear that he hears each and every prayer request and has answered so many in ways we never even imagined as a solution! 

These last two weeks have just flown by in a good way! If I were a good blogger, I would have posted a story each day to share very specifically how God has been answering our prayers, as it truly has been daily that we have been blessed!  Another very specific way has been answering our prayers is by putting individuals in our path who have also struggled with esophageal cancer and are survivors today!  Yes, I still owe you a separate blog on that one as it's been so awesome!  And, God continues to reveal His glory through this trial.

So, I am officially to the half way mark of treatment!  3 weeks of radiation and 3 treatments of chemo down and 3 more weeks of each to go - bringing our finish line to the day before Thanksgiving.  By God's grace and the Holy Spirit's strength, I haven't felt as impacted by side effects as much as they had prepared me to be.  It's ALL GOD!  Being at the mid-point, they keep telling me this is when things will start to add up and become much tougher of a battle.  I continue to take each day as a blessing from the Lord and just revel in the strength with which He has given me, fully understanding that it may get much harder or it may not.  We have certainly become more comfortable in uncertainty. 

One of my good friends sent me this a few weeks back after he was reading his daily devotional and I felt I couldn't say it much better.  So rejoice in the fact that we will suffer, whether great or small and all relative to the one going through the suffering, but find peace knowing there is only good to come of it, whether mine our yours or someone else close to you.

"Be prepared to suffer for Me, in My Name.  All suffering has meaning in My kingdom.  Pain and problems are opportunities to demonstrate your trust in Me.  Bearing your circumstances bravely--even thanking Me for them--is one of the highest forms of praise.  This sacrifice of thanksgiving rings golden-toned bells of joy throughout heavenly realms.  On earth also, your patient suffering sends out ripples of good tidings in ever-widening circles. 

 

When suffering strikes, remember that I am sovereign and that I can bring good out of everything.  Do not try to run from pain or hide from problems.  Instead, accept adversity in My Name, offering it up to Me for My purposes.  Thus, your suffering gains meaning and draws you closer to Me.  Joy emerges from the ashes of adversity through your trust and thankfulness."

 

Romans 5:3-5 "Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.  And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us."

The Holy Spirit has placed a peace that passes all understanding over us that is only described by God's power and grace through both cancers.  We as a family have enjoyed that blessing, which has let us pursue and find joy in all that is put before us and ultimately have grown closer to God, as a couple and as a family. 

You'll continue to see our prayer requests at the bottom of the blog and we can't thank you enough for ALL your prayers.  There is not doubt God is listening, answering clearly and frequently, and working His perfect plan.  We are definitely feeling and experiencing God's blessings and continued to be amazed at how he is using those of you here on earth to love us in a way we never knew was possible.   Thank You so very much!

Trust in Him
God Bless!
Jason